* For the armchair traveler, pictures and descriptions, in memoir form, of every site in England and Romania that is closely related to either Bram Stoker's fictional Count Dracula or his historical counterpart, Prince Vlad Dracula the Impaler.

* A thorough history based on original research and face-to-face interviews with experts--such as the Man in Black of Whitby, England--of how the novel Dracula came into being, and almost never happened.

* The true life story of Vlad the Impaler, connecting his lineage for the first time in print to the Brotherhood of the Wolf, which had already survived for two thousand years when Prince Vlad was born in 1431.

* For the independent traveler who would leave his armchair for the Great Unknown, a Practical Guide to the Dracula Trail, including a complete Sample Itinerary with recommendations for lodging and detailed instructions on traveling to each British or Romanian Dracula-related town or site.

Also in the Practical Guide are sections on money; recommended reading; modes of transportation; security and health; internet access, shopping, and cable TV; and alternatives to independent travel.

The 2nd Edition of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide, available now, includes: ---References, Web Links, and Costs Updated to December 2010 ---The First Review of Dracula Ever Written, Published in the Manchester Guardian on June 15, 1897 ---A New Section on Bram Stoker's Dublin ---A Rare Photo of a Wolf-Dragon, the Original Source of the Name "Dracula," Carved Within the Ruins of a Prehistoric Dacian Temple in Transylvania, and much, much more!

Between January 2010, when the 1st Edition of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide was published, and December of that year, almost 100 related reviews and articles appeared in print and online. Ranging from horror fanzines to scholarly journals, and originating from locations throughout the United States to countries as disparate as England, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa, the reviews of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide were not only overwhelmingly positive, but cried out for more back-story, travel guide updates, and even deeper insight into the mind of Bram Stoker and the influences and inspirations that drove him to write his undying Gothic novel, Dracula.

In response, the 2nd Edition of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide was released on December 21, 2010. The 2nd Edition, available now as a paperback and e-book from its dedicated World Audience Web page well as from www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.de, and www.amazon.com/Kindle), includes:

References, Web Links, and Costs Updated to December 2010;

The First Review of Dracula Ever Written, Published in the Manchester Guardian on June 15, 1897;

A New Section on Bram Stoker's Dublin;

A Rare Photo of a Wolf-Dragon, the Original Source of the Name "Dracula," Carved Within the Ruins of a Prehistoric Dacian Temple in Transylvania; and much, much more!

I am a former librarian and current researcher with a weakness for vampire and all paranormal fiction. In 1998 I published Vampire Readings: An Annotated Bibliography. For several years I have reviewed vampire and paranormal literature. What I enjoy doing most is getting readers and authors together.
PatriciaAltner(at)gmail(dot)com